Improvement in desk



0. W. TITUS. DESK.

No. 106,970. Patented Aug. 30, 1870.

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Letters Patent No. 106,970, dated August 30, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN DESK.

The Schedule referred to hitting Letters Patent and making part of the same.

1, CHARLES Wnamos Trrt's, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Desk, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the I Invention.

My invent-ion consists of a desk in which a curved or semicircular front, and a sliding board, forming the base of the desk, are so combined and connected together t-hata sliding motion will be imparted to the board, when the said curved front is turned upon its pivots; or, in other words, so that the sliding board-will be pushed out ready for use, as a table for writing purposes, 8m, simultaneously with the raising of the curved front, and be drawninward out of the way when the said curved front is lowered and closed.

My invention also consists in the combination of the pivoted curved front with certain spring bars or frames by which the drawers in the lower part of the desk may be simultaneously locked and unlocked, as fully described hereafter.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of my improved desk as it appears when closed.

Figure 2, the same opened; and

Figure 3, a front view of the desk.

General Description.

The desk proper, A, is supported upon two fi-ames or boxes, 13 B, in each of which is a row of drawers, G.

The front F of the desk is of the semicircular or curved form, best observed in figs. 1 and 2, and is scoured at its opposite ends to segmental plates a a, which fit close up to the ends of the desk, and are pivoted to the latter at the points I) 1), these points coinciding with the center of the curve upon which the front of the desk is formed.

The front, thus pivoted, can be lowered so as to entirely close the desk, as shown in fig. 1-, or it may be thrown back, as shown in fig. 2, so as to open the desk.

The board H, which forms the base of the desk, is arranged to slide in suitable guides at its opposite ends, so that it may be drawn outward, as seen in fig. 2, when the desk is to be used for writing purposes, &o., and pushed in out of the way when no longer required for use.

By a method of connection which I will now proceed to describe, this board is operated automatically by the movementof the curved front of the desk, the board being drawn inward by a downward movement of the front, andthrown outward ready for use when the said front is raised.

The connections consist of a lever, I, hung to each end of the desk at a point adjacent to the pivot 71', and connected to the segmental plate (I by a link, a, and to theboard H by a link, f.

This method of connection, as will be readily nnderstnod on referring to figs. 1 and 2, will etfcct the desired movements of the board H on the rising and loweringof the curved front.

Each of the drawers 0, above referred to, has projecting from its rear end a slotted plate or book, 71., adapted to a hook, it, secured to a vertically-moving bar or-frame, J, at the rear of, the drawers.

This bar or frame is "so acted on by a spiral or' other spring, 'i, that when the drawers are closed, as shown in fig. 1, the book 71. of the said bar will he raised so as to catch or engage with the hooks h- .of the drawers, and thus efi'ectually lock the latter.

The drawers can be simultaneously unlocked by depressing the bars or frames J, and this occurs whenever the curved front of the desk is thrown back, as shown in fig. 2, a projection, k, at the rear edge of the curved ti'ont, either striking the bars directly or through the medium of a cross-bar, Z, secured to the same, and thus depressing the said bars, as shown.

.As soon as the pressure of the curved front is removed from the bars, the latter will again be raised by the action of the springs i, in order to lock the drawers; and, in case any of the latter should he opened when the bars are thus raised, they will be immediately locked on being pushed iuward,-as the hooks h and h, or the latter only, are beveled at the ends, and have sufiicient spring to yield slightly until properly caught, when they are brought in contact with each other.-

This method of locking and unlocking the.drawers simultaneously, by the movements of the curved fronts, enables the expense and inconvenience of a separate lock for each drawer, to be avoided, a single lock of ordinary description at the point a: or y, to secure the curved front to the permanent portion of the desk, or to the movable boardH, being all thatis necessary.

Claims.

1. A desk in which a curved front, F, and board, H,- are so connected and arranged in respect to each other that a sliding motion shall be imparted to the hoard when the said curved front is turned upon its pivots.

2. The curved front F, when 'hnng to the desk segmental plates or arms, a, as described.

3. In combination with the curved front and Slide ing board H, the Within-described devices i'otconconsisting of :1- lcver, I, and arms necting the some, or links, a andjl 4. The spring bnrs J J, with their hooks or catches h, in combination with the curved front F and with the catches h oithedrawers, for locking and unlocking the latter simultaneously, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 CHARLES WHARTON TITUS. \Vitn'esses WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH. 

